Welcome to Legacy Arena for No. 9-seed Auburn (21-12) against No.1-seed Houston (32-2) in a 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament second-round game.

An Auburn win books a ticket to Kansas City for the Sweet 16. A loss signals the end of the 2022-23 season for the Tigers, who defeated Iowa 83-75 on Thursday in a first-round matchup. Houston downed North Kentucky, 63-52, in a game that was closer than experts expected.

Bruce Pearl’s squad is seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since beating LSU and South Carolina on in January to keep a five-game winning streak alive.

We’ll have updates from the arena throughout the contest. Follow along at al.com

1st Half

Auburn 22 Houston 23 7:53 1st Half

Auburn is shooting 50% from the field on 9-18 and 3-7 from three. The free throw line is a problem early. Auburn is 1-6 compared to 4-5 for Houston at the 7:53 mark. Houston is shooting 8-21 (37%) and is 3-7 from the free throw line.

Auburn 22 Houston 21 8:47 1st Half

Johni Broome missed both free throws. Auburn got the rebound and Donaldson gives the Tigers a lead with his second three of the ballgame.

Auburn 19 Houston 21 9:55 1st Half

Tre Donaldson hits his first three of the game to bring Auburn within three points.

Auburn 16 Houston 18 11:23 1st Half

Jaylin Williams goes 1-2 from the free throw line.

Auburn 15 Houston 18 11:23 1st Half

K.D. Johnson hits Auburn’s first three and Auburn trailed by one. Jarcae Walker hit a layup to put Houston by three points. Auburn is shooting 7-15 and 1-4 from three. Houston is 6-14 and 2-4 from three. The Cougars have shot five free throws and Auburn hasn’t shot any.

Auburn 12 Houston 16 12:33 1st Half

Dylan Cardwell dunks with two-hands to bring Auburn within four.

Auburn 10 Houston 15 14:20 1st Half

Marcus Sasser connects on his second three of the night and Houston leads by five. A concern for the Cougars was Sasser’s health. It doesn’t appear to be an issue into the first media timeout.

Both teams are shooting 5-11 from the field. The difference in the game are the two threes by Sasser. Auburn is 0-2 from behind the arc.

Auburn 8 Houston 8 16:12 1st Half

Wendell Green gets on the board with a layup.

Auburn 6 Houston 6 17:09 1st Half

Johni Broome has four points in the first three minutes. Jaylin Williams scored Auburn’s first points on a midrange jumper. Marcus Sasser scored three-pointer for the game’s first bucket. He tied the game at six with three free throws at the 17:09 mark.